


Devotion

by thesassygandalf



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Blue Diamond - Freeform, F/F, Future Vision, Homeworld - Freeform, Rose Quartz rebellion, SU - Freeform, Violence, death mention, rupphire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-05-03 17:24:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5300054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesassygandalf/pseuds/thesassygandalf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pink Diamond has committed treason to Homeworld in a very desperate time, and Blue Diamond has assigned Sapphire a very important mission that could sway the outcome of the war.<br/>My idea on why the war occurred and how Ruby and Sapphire met</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a fic, so any opinions/criticisms are welcome~  
> Shoutout to Tumblr user Magicnotradioactive for helping me edit and whatnot :P

_Determination.  You sprint to the next enemy, leaping over a pile of injured warriors. You’ll get back to them later. You are exhausted but you keep running. An overwhelming metallic taste in the air, a rush of adrenaline.  You release a savage war cry, shatter 2-3-4 gems with a swing of your green war axe. Suddenly you’re surrounded.  Fear. Excitement.  You allow these emotions to fuel you.  You shatter 2 more gems before a blunt force to the chest makes the world go dark.  Sharp pain in your gem.  Dead._

Shivers ran up Sapphire’s spine.  Blast this planet and its wind.  If she could just cover her eye, then maybe-

_Fear. You don’t want to be here. You are not a fighting gem, can’t even summon your weapon.  You get pushed forward by the fearless herd behind you.  Suddenly you’re separate from your group and face to face with a Carnelian double your size.  Earth’s moon casts a silver glare off her massive sword.  Fear. You turn and run in the other direction, tripping, desperate. A cold burn in your back causes you look to down at the gleaming sword protruding through your chest. Your gem slowly fractures.  Fear. Dead._

Sapphire shifted uncomfortably, drawing her gaze straight down to prevent making eye contact with anyone else.  The lean blue gem quickly rearranged her disheveled bangs back over her face, and began to walk away from the restless group of gems around her.  At this point she had mastered her somber face expression, neither a smile nor frown.  It was a perfect mask to cover her uneasiness at seeing her teammate’s upcoming deaths, and her nervousness at the upcoming mission.

Ever since her first day out of the ground, Sapphire knew she had an unnatural ability to see the path of fate before it took course.  Every time she made eye contact with another being, she would experience the next couple days of their lives within a few seconds of her own, being completely incapacitated until the vision ran its course.  At first she thought these visions would overwhelm her and drive her to corruption, and for a while they drastically interfered with her ability to fight.  By chance, she had discovered sweet relief from these uncontrollable surges as a cloud of dust was roused by gems in a nearby sparring match, effectively blocking any direct eye contact between herself and the opponent.  Ever since then, Sapphire kept a veil of her thick azure hair over her eye, and has never since lost a fight.  She could still see one’s future with her eye covered if she focused hard enough, but now it was only when she desired to see it.  Plus, she didn’t care for the attention she received for only having one eye. 

Another gust of wind wove its invisible fingers through her hair and around her face, but Sapphire was prepared for it, facing her back towards any nearby gem.  She had never had these problems at Homeworld. 

Sapphire had never told anyone about her strange ability.  What was at first an insufferable burden, she quickly learned to use to her advantage.  By peeking into one’s future, she could learn a lot about their character: what choices they make in certain situations, what they fear, who is important to them, to which of the diamond authority truly held their devotion, where their gem is located, and other valuable snippets of information.  With this, Sapphire could evaluate the correct things to say to gain favor with the higher gems and move up in the system.  If anyone knew of her hidden gift, she knew she would be immediately taken up and sold like a Pearl to one of the Diamonds, spending eternities as their pet, warning them about potential dangers and advising them on decisions in politics. Bah.  She could never let her ability be wasted on such menial tasks when she could use it to sway this civil war in their favor.

Sapphire glanced up at the grey-blue sky, admiring how it darkened with the setting sun. They should be getting their signal soon.  Yellow Diamond has been the main military force against the rebels, but requested that Blue Diamond send reinforcements every once in a while.  This time around she sent three platoons, including Sapphire’s. 

Blast Pink Diamond, no, Rose Quartz and her sudden betrayal of Homeworld.  Does she not care that gems as a whole are facing extincti- shit, wind! 

Sapphire tried to close her eye, but in her panic caught a quick glimpse of eye contact with a nearby Jasper.

_Confidence.  You are huge.  This will be your first experience on the battlefield, as you are very young, but you just know that if you shatter enough gems that even the seasoned veterans will shower you with glory.  You run to the frontlines, leaping and bounding faster than everyone else, eager to show your strength.  A silver blur of a thrown spear pierces the air directing towards the gem on your abdomen. You flinch.  Why can’t you move?! Fear. Dead._

Sapphire hid a stream of curses and her bubbling frustration underneath the stoic face she has worn for millennia. The Jasper seemed to notice Sapphire’s episode, as she worriedly looked Sapphire up and down before awkwardly walking away.  The planet’s unpredictable weather patterns had forced her to see the future of 18 fellow warriors, none of which lasted long.  She hated seeing the deaths of her teammates, but she knew that her platoon was not going to survive this attack for more than a few hours.  Fate would run its course, and even if she tried to intervene, their deaths would be inevitable. 

She, however, would not be joining the platoon on the battlefield.  She alone was given a mission under direct orders from Blue Diamond to eliminate some of the traitor Diamond’s generals, who would be meeting in a distant cave to strategize while the battle goes on.  Although she hated assassination missions, they were what she was best at.  Sapphires made up the fastest class of gems in existence, and she herself was no exception.  Plus, her weapon was perfect for executing quick gem-shattering. 

Out of instinct, she began channeling the energy from the matter surrounding her as the gem in her right palm began to emanate a soft indigo glow.  Almost instantly, light materialized into cobalt knuckledusters in her hands.  She looked down at her hands, admiring the ornate detail naturally carved into the metal as it curled up into the vicious spikes on her knuckles.  The intricate designs were lovely against her gloved hands.  It was almost deplorable that an object so elegant would be used as a tool to destroy. Nonetheless, Sapphire has shattered scores of gems in previous wars and could testify of the weapon’s effectiveness; one direct blow was sure to shatter a gem of almost any hardness.  Plus, as long as she had her weapons summoned, the invaluable gemstone on her palm would be covered. 

Future vision also played a role in Sapphire’s fighting.  By glancing into their future, Sapphire could pinpoint exactly where one’s gem was.  This especially made Sapphire a remarkable warrior, as most gems in war hide their gemstones underneath clothes and armor (except the cocky quartzes who revel in openly displaying theirs as a challenge to their enemies).  As much as Sapphire hated assassination missions, she couldn’t deny that she was built perfectly for them.

The sky, now a deep and starless navy blue, began to blend with the colors of the Earth’s ocean.  The erratic wind seemed to stretch the ocean closer and closer to Sapphire before the planet’s gravity pulled it back, repeating and repeating into a haunting rhythm.  The sound was beautiful and ominous, and for a moment Sapphire felt that she related to the ocean.  She allowed herself to hum along to sooth her nerves, harmonizing with the waves to a wordless ethereal lullaby. 

Only a few minutes passed before the sleeping sky lit up with a flare from Yellow Diamond’s army.  The radiant ball of light separated into a design of brilliant lines, the symbol of distress and calling for immediate backup.  It’s time to move.  Sapphire silently followed the army that was unknowingly marching to their demise. 

The group marched quickly and quietly, nobody daring to break the silence by talking.  Anticipation ran thick in the air, and Sapphire centered most of her thoughts on avoiding eye contact with her companions.  The sand was tedious to walk in, and it already felt as though it were collecting by the handful into the folds of her dark outfit.  As they drew further from the beach, the wind became less bothersome and Sapphire allowed her thoughts to wander.

She’s always considered herself a cool-headed gem, but the recent treason of one of the Diamond Authority had ignited an icy enmity within her.  Of course she never let her feelings break the impassive demeanor she established for herself over the millennia, but she felt that this war would impact the future of gemkind towards total extinction.  The species as a whole was already becoming endangered.  About 80,000 years ago (a couple thousand years before Sapphire had emerged), the planets of Homeworld became depleted of energy and the Diamond Authority had ordered the expansion to other planets to grow more gems.  It was at this time that they discovered how the different chemical makeup of new planets created lands rich in foreign minerals that could create gems that were previously nonexistent.  Out of the rarest of these planets, Quartzes were discovered.  Upon creation, they were masters of combat and natural commanders, standing almost as tall as a Diamond.  However they turned out to be a very prideful class, often refusing to take orders and almost always going on killing sprees, wiping out any gem who may have migrated to their planet.  Rumor has it that after they would destroy every gem they came into contact with, they would allow themselves to fall into corruption.  This was a terrifying thought, considering how massive Quartzes already were; when a gem became corrupted, their mind would be lost in exchange for larger and more deadly bodies.  Quartz were by far the worst when it came to corruption. 

Whenever a batch of Quartz would arrive that didn’t result in massacre, the Diamonds would lust after their power, desiring to have the strongest army and ultimately starting a civil war over who would get control over the new Quartz planet.  Gems used to be a race of artistic and peaceful beings, but they very quickly forgot things of beauty to their greed and savagery.  Eventually, Quartz became more common and the Diamond wars ceased, but the addiction to conflict had left its mark and Homeworld became a violent galaxy.  Gems that shared gem-type would form packs and fight other groups of gems.  Sapphire could remember a particular fight on her homeplanet between Agates and Topaz that nearly resulted in the extinction of both gem-classes.  Most of these fights however were between species of Quartz.  Now, there has been an outbreak of corruption in homeworld that has eliminated nearly 60% of the gems, and almost all Quartz.  The Diamonds had agreed that we needed more Quartz to organize and fight these corrupted beasts, and Pink Diam- er, Rose Quartz, came to this planet of humans to oversee the production.  It’s been the last Quartz planet found in over 5,000 years, and the Quartz are desperately needed to stop the spread of corruption.  Rose Quartz had originally dealt with this planet like any other Diamond would, killing off most of the dominant species that tried to resist her stay.  For some reason, she began to empathize with these primitive creatures, and refused to further gem production.  Homeworld was suffering more casualties while she turned her back on her position as a Diamond, and on her entire species.  It was an unforgivable crime, and she being a once loved and revered leader didn’t make it easier.  It seemed silly to try and solve a nearing extinction by fighting a civil war, but without the production of Quartz, homeworld would utterly perish.

The petite gem quietly sighed as she broke from the group of warriors nearing the place of their downfall.  Now running alone and parallel to the coast, she picked up the pace.  Now she wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally being sucked into witnessing another’s short and painful future.  The cool air tasted of sodium chloride, and the beat of the waves in the distance seemed to cheer her on.  She allowed a small smile to escape her lips.  Despite everything, this really was an alluring planet. Perhaps she could see herself staying here for a while after the war is over. 

Sapphire was at full pace now, practically flying over the sand towards her destination.  She should be there within minutes.  To her left, the dark ocean reached out towards the horizon, and to her right a mountain range began to form.  The sky was as dark as ebony, the only light source being a miniscule sliver of the planet’s moon.  Up ahead, she could begin to hear the sound of fighting, and decided that it was probably time to prepare her weapons.  With a quick flash of light, the knuckledusters coalesced around her fingers, catching the limited light with a devious gleam.  She would have to run uncomfortably close to the fight, but she was confident the darkness would obscure her from any unwanted attention.  As Sapphire neared the battle she took a moment to observe the progress of the fight.  The battle was completely enclosed on a stretch of sand about 1 kilometer between ocean and mountains, and roughly 3 kilometers along the length of the coast.  The cave would likely be against the mountains just beyond the battlefield.  Scanning through the warriors, she noticed that the force consisted of only Yellow Diamond troops fighting against the rebels.  There were pink flags everywhere bearing the traitor’s new insignia, and all of the rebels had replaced the pink diamond on their uniform with a star. 

Sapphire hummed softly to herself.  It looked like Yellow Diamond’s troops had the upper hand in this bat- what the hell? Suddenly in a blinding flash of light, four of the rebel Turquoise reformed into… one massive Turquoise? The goliath of a gem released a bellowing roar so loud that Sapphire felt the sound waves reverberate in her core.  The monster swung her massive halberd and poofed eight of the Yellow Diamond warriors in one swipe.  Sapphire was completely enthralled.  Keeping a safe distance, she reached out with her mind to see the future of this colossal gem.  Amazingly, it had five unique futures.  Four individual futures and personalities wove together to create a being that had its own unique personality and its own unique future.  The giant had a very short future, as it would quickly attract the attention of Yellow Diamond’s forces, but it would poof nearly twenty gems before it would break back down into the four original Turquoise.  How terrifyingly fascinating.  Sapphire hurried along the mountain range, eager to add distance between herself and the amalgam. 

Nearly ten minutes later, Sapphire located the entrance to the cave hidden along the base of the mountain range.  As she looked down the steep slope and pitch darkness within, she felt a pang of anxiety bubble in her chest.  The mouth of the cave looked like the jagged maw of a corrupted gem, as if it would close itself around her and trap her within until she too became a mindless beast.  Nothing about these rebels seemed normal.  Why did they meet in caves?  What was that massive Turquoise?  For all she knew, Pink Diamond had gone corrupt and all of these generals inside the cave were monstrous ruthless corrupted gem beasts.  A few moments passed while Sapphire stood outside the mouth of the cave, fighting to replace her fears with the calm composure she would need to survive this mission.  Finally she began her quiet descent into blackness.  After three steps the wind had completely stopped.  She immediately came to miss the currents of fresh air.  Everything felt ancient and stagnant.  Blinded, she kept a hand on the wall and ventured further into the cave.  Stalactites and stalagmites of all shapes and sizes dispersed themselves throughout the cave, some reaching into each other, forming massive archaic pillars.  The walls were moist and the air was thick, feeling hotter with ever step forward.  Each step fell soundlessly, although Sapphire’s ears were ringing with her thoughts.  She sung her song of the ocean within her mind, but the quiet of the cave made the thought of the song deafening.   Five minutes passed, but it felt like an hour.  Suddenly, a whisper of a voice emerged from further into the cave.  Many voices.  Four voices?  Sapphire inched forward, somehow making her footsteps quieter.  Even the melody in her mind was silenced and holding its breath.  A dull light shone from around a wide corner, where the four voices were without a doubt coming from.  Sapphire listened to the voices as they spoke, thanking the universe that they weren’t the primal roars of a corrupted gem.  This would be easy.  She sidled around the corner to see the silhouettes of four gems standing around a table nearly 500 meters away, their voices energetically fluctuating as they discussed strategies for upcoming battles.  The cave was illuminated by a large lantern sitting on the table.  Sapphire was able to silently jump the distance between the curve of the tunnel and one of the gigantic stone pillars. She became distinctly aware of the weight and placement of the weapons in her hands as she gazed sideways trying to get accustomed to the warm orange glow of the lantern.  Somewhere within the cave, water was dripping down a stalactite in an unbroken rhythm. 

Peeking her head out, Sapphire was able to see what these generals looked like.  Nearest to her were the backs of what she believed to be a Spinel and a Diaspore, while on the other side of the table was a Ruby and a Tourmaline.  What an interesting group of gems to have as generals.  As they zealously continued their conversation, Sapphire learned what she could about the gems by briefly skimming into the next few moments of their futures, looking only for information on gem location and fighting style. The Spinel stood roughly twice Sapphire’s height, with a very lean build.  Her gem rested between her collarbones where she could most likely summon a bow.  She would be dangerous if she could stay out of Sapphire’s arm range.  The Diaspore stood just a couple inches taller than Sapphire, hiding the gem on her left breast underneath a steel chest piece.  She already had her weapon summoned, a large staff with an intricate complex of designs around its shaft. She was leaning against it lazily.  How can they look so carefree?  Do these gems not worry about being attacked?  Next the Ruby.  She stood slightly shorter than Sapphire, but had a much stockier build.  Her gem rested in her left palm, from which she could summon reinforced spiked gloves.  She would fight very similarly to Sapphire, only much slower.  Lastly the Tourmaline, the tallest and widest of the generals, and her gem was located right in her navel, hidden underneath a pleated fold of her dress.  She could not summon a weapon, but she could bend the atmosphere to her will to create shattering gusts of wind. 

The air around Sapphire seemed to grow thin and chilly as she mentally prepared herself.  She didn’t want to kill these gems, but doing so would surely give Homeworld the upper hand in the war.  Better for a couple gems to shatter than the entire species be wiped out, right?  She would have to make this quick if she wanted to survive.  They all looked to be excellent fighters, but Sapphire had surprise, speed, and clairvoyance on her side.  She would probably need to strike the Spinel and Diaspore first, as the Spinel’s ranged weapon and the Diaspore’s already-summoned weapon would both pose the biggest threats to her.  The Ruby will probably take the longest to eliminate, as her weapon also covers her gem, so Sapphire would save her for last.  The Tourmaline shouldn’t pose too big of a threat; as long as she stays out of the direct path of the bending air currents, she shouldn’t get damaged too bad.  Sapphire could see her breath now as she went over her plan of attack over and over again.  The air around her was frigid, yet she felt invigorated.  One of the gems, probably the Diaspore, mumbled something about how they felt a sinister chill in their core.

It’s time. 

Sapphire exploded from her hiding place, clearing the distance between herself and the enemy in less than a second.  The Spinel and the Diaspore had their backs turned to her, providing cover from the vision of the other two.  She slid between them, turned to face them as she pushed herself off the ground and thrusted her arms towards their hidden gems.  The warriors hardly had enough time to react in shock before Sapphire’s knuckledusters met their targets with exact precision.  The two instantly shattered.  Sapphire forced her face to keep its emotionless expression.  The other two could not be allowed to see her sorrow for her fallen enemies.  They would have been valuable fighters against the corrupted gems at Homeworld. 

As Sapphire fell back to the ground, she quickly rolled to the right to avoid a blast of stinging winds.  Despite the Tourmaline’s appearance, she had incredibly quick reflexes.  The Ruby on the other hand seemed momentarily paralyzed by surprise.  Perhaps this fight wouldn’t be too dangerous.  One quick leap to the side allowed Sapphire to narrowly dodge another gust from the Tourmaline.  The cacophonous sound of stalactites crumbling behind her filled the cave.  The Ruby’s palm began to glow, light collecting around both of her fists.  Sapphire was running out of time. 

With three sharp jukes, the nimble blue gem stood right in front of the tourmaline, preparing to strike her navel.  Suddenly, a surge of panicked wind erupted from the Tourmaline, cushioning Sapphire’s lunge forward, and buffeting her with sharp gusts of wind from every direction.  Nevertheless, Sapphire’s attack made it through.  She watched the wild spikes of her weapon graze the green and pink gem, fracturing it down the middle.  It was not an instantly fatal injury, but Sapphire had no time to finish her off yet.  If she would survive it she would become corrupted within a couple days.  Meanwhile, the red gem to her right released a fierce and sorrowful war cry.  Her voice was much higher pitch that Sapphire had expected.  The Ruby was scrambling towards Sapphire, bringing with her an unbearable heat.  She turned to face her opponent, realizing her error as she moved.  The Tourmaline.  The wind.  My eye.  It was too late, she had already locked eyes with the enemy.

_Passion.  This war is everything you stand for.  You follow Rose Quartz with unwavering passion, you have a complete utter devotion to her cause.  You miss the days when gems admired art and beauty above war stories.  You let your memories of these days drive you.  You watch hundreds of thousands of Earth sunrises and sunsets.  Joy, laughing, victory._ Why was Sapphire seeing so much of this gem’s future? _Many of your friends have died, but the war is long over.  You feel complete utter devotion to another besides Rose Quartz, but this feeling is deeper.  Your soft raspy voice whispers sweet words of care and adoration for this gem._ W-wait, was that Sapphire?? _You almost never leave the edge of Earth’s ocean, because your beloved sings to it.  Her songs fill you with jubilation.  Dancing, giggling, life, warmth.  A burst of light and you feel larger, stronger, complete.  You are a brand new gem, never before seen, and you love who you’ve become.  You hear your beloved’s thoughts as if they were your own._ What the hell was that voice? _Humans begin to recover from their near extinction, as you and your dearest friends spend centuries fighting gem corruption from the planet.  Rose Quartz finds one that makes her feel similar emotions as you, but this fills you with sorrow.  Rose is no more, and your world fills with red hot fury.  You feel yourself slip towards corruption, until your beloved’s voice soothes your despair.  You feel complete utter devotion to another besides Rose Quartz and your beloved, but this feeling is different._

Hundreds more images flashed into Sapphire’s mind.  She has never seen a vision predict more than a couple weeks before now, and this flood of information was overwhelming and confusing.  Why was she so extensively involved in this traitor’s future? She snaps out of it to find herself still in the dark cave, scorching with a frenzied anguish from the small red gem before her.  The Ruby had cleared the distance between them.  The Ruby’s eyes were wide with rage, threatening to release a flood of tears.  Sapphire has trouble holding her own back.  She barely notices the blur of a reinforced glove.  No time to react, the fist meets its target and her face ignites in pain. The world around her turns black.  Poofed.

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby's in a tough place, Sapphire's in a tough place, everything's a mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a lot of my headcanons and idea's for this fic were disproven when "The Answer" aired, so it took me like 40 thousand years to find the motivation to write this.   
> Anyways, here's my ideas on what corruption is, and what its like to retreat into a gem!  
> Once again, I'm still very new to writing. I'd love any feedback you're willing to give!

_Crush it._

But why did she hesitate?

_Crush it. The gem who killed your beloved leader’s trusted companions, YOUR friends._

She shattered them so quickly, but why did she flinch when she should have shattered me?

_Crush it.  I even put it in your hands. You’ve shattered gems before._

But…why did she make that face? 

_Crush it._

A blistering heat filled the cave, the stalactites slowly churned and gave in to gravity as they began to ooze and liquefy under the inferno.  The powdered remains of Spinel and Diaspore sifted away from their resting place, riding the heat waves and scattering through the room.  Tourmaline’s fractured gem glinted dully in the orange glow.  Stagnant air became choking fumes to any organic life that may have been inside.

_CRUSH IT._

Ruby quickly snapped back to reality, one hand holding a pristine triangular facet sapphire gemstone, the other posed to strike.  Her body felt stiff as if she had held this pose for an eternity.  Her eyes were dry as if she had stared at the sun for hours.  How long had she been like this?

Ruby cursed under her breath.  This wasn’t the first time she had faced Corruption. 

The crash of a semi-liquefied stalactite falling to the ground sent a rush of cool air over Ruby’s body. 

She shivered and released some of the tension in her frame, pulling the armored glove away from the little gemstone.  As the endorphins wore off, tears took their place.  She threw the tiny blue stone away from her as if it were noxious to the touch.  Before it clattered to rest near the wall, Ruby was already curled up on the ground.  She began frantically checking her body and her gemstone, to find that it thankfully was not the anomalous shape of a corrupted gem beast. 

Quiet sobs began echoing through the cave.

Her friends had just died in front of her.  She just narrowly escaped Corruption.  She was alone, miles from her dear leader, laying on a cave floor next to the gem that caused all of this.

Ruby was normally a very patient gem. Especially for a Ruby.  In fact, it was her levelheadedness that originally caught Pink Diamond’s eye.  Yet on rare occasions, a red hot fury would take over her composure and set her world aflame.  This frenzy had saved her life plenty of times, and even got her into her position as a personal guard and friend to Rose Quartz.  However with the recent spread of Corruption through gemkind, Ruby had almost lost herself to her fury the last three times she went full berserker.  Wait, four times now. 

Nobody knew exactly what Corruption was.  A chemical denaturation? A microphage? A state of mind?

When Rose Quartz discovered the concept of fusion a couple hundred years ago, she used an interesting word to describe it… What was it… a conversation? Well Ruby had never successfully fused yet, but ‘a conversation’ would certainly be a good way to describe facing Corruption.   A horrible horrible conversation where the converser has a silver tongue and you have almost no control over your agency. 

It was very rare for a gem to survive one of these…conversations.  It played on a gems emotions, compelling and beguiling while it engulfs one’s gemstone.  The thoughts and personality of a gem would be severed from the body as every molecule and every chemical bond of the gemstone is turned against its owner, leaving nothing but violent primal instinct in a corrupting body.  And by the stars, Corruption could be so enticing when trying to grasp at you.  It certainly began to make sense why a gem left damaged too long inevitably corrupted; any sort of lapse in focus would undoubtedly weaken any attempt at resisting Corruption.  Ruby had barely survived with her body and mind intact during a conversation WITHOUT any sort of damage to her life source.

She glared through blurry eyes at the pretty blue stone sitting mindlessly against the far wall of the cave.  How could something so small and beautiful create such a terrifying assassin?  She hated that gem.  How dare she come in and kill Ruby’s friends.  Gems that she didn’t even know.  Gems that had been around for millennia and wanted better for gemkind.  How dare she make Ruby go into a rage, and have to resist Corruption.  How dare she make that face. Why did she make that face!?

Ruby pulled at her hair, yelling in frustration.  She wanted to crush that gem so badly.  Now that she was no longer being compelled by Corruption, she could easily go and shatter it and not worry about turning wild.  Why shouldn’t she? Rose would be proud of her for eliminating such a dangerous enemy.  After all, the Sapphire did just assassinate three of Rose’s top officials, and who knows how many other Crystal Gems.  Honestly, Ruby didn’t know how long she had been standing there holding the Sapphire while enraged.  She might reform soon; it would be smart to go and shatter it now. 

And yet, something in Ruby’s core prevented her from doing so.  Something didn’t feel right about this.  How was it that the Sapphire was able to strike with perfect precision at three hidden and protected gems?  Sapphires were known to be a quicker gem, but Diaspore’s gemstone was hidden under a breastplate over a half inch thick.  No gem could have known where to strike her for an instant kill.  Second, how did she know about Tourmaline’s wind elemental control, and always know exactly how to dodge a direct hit?  Why did Ruby not crush the gemstone in her bought of rage? _And why did she look at me like that?_ Something wasn’t right with all of this, and destroying the Sapphire right now would leave some of these questions unanswered forever.  Maybe she was some homeworld prototype, and interrogating her could give them the upper hand in the war?

With another frustrated yell, Ruby uncurled from her spot on the ground and slowly got to her feet.  Goodness her body was sore.  Wiping her tears, she walked over to the seemingly innocuous blue gemstone and stared down at it.  The glossy surface taunted Ruby, seeming to mock the now dull and broken gleam of the fractured Tourmaline.

_Oh Tourmaline…_

The once vibrant stone was refracting the weak light in a sporadic display through its wound, creating a strange design on the cave wall.  Rose would have to heal her quick.  The only thing worse than fighting old acquaintances from Homeworld was fighting misshapen beasts that were, just nights before, singing and telling jokes and talking about what they wanted to do after the war. 

With a couple quick wrist movements, Tourmaline was bubbled and being warped to the base. 

The cave had returned to its previous state before Ruby could get herself to pick up the blue stone.  Same old musty smell.  Same old thick air and crappy lantern lighting.  If it wasn’t for the scattered dust that used to be Spinel and Diaspore, and the slightly disfigured stalactites and stalagmites, it would be impossible to tell that anything much had ever happened in here. 

After one last look around, Ruby grabbed the small gem and encased it within a bright red bubble.  This lucky Sapphire was going to meet Rose Quartz face to face, and Ruby was going to get answers. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

For miles in every direction, all Sapphire could see was beauty.  The sky was a gorgeous blue, similar to her own color, and flowers of every hue and scent lined the walk way she had followed for an unknown time. 

She had no idea where she was, or how she got there, or how long she had spent there.  It seemed like time didn’t exist.  But everything was exactly how she liked it.  The temperature was pristine, a salt water ocean was nearby singing a hauntingly familiar tune.  _I kind of feel like wearing a dress today…_ and out of thin air, the exact dress her mind desired appeared on her body. 

She was numbingly content here, although she couldn’t for the life of her remember where.  She couldn’t remember much of anything honestly, but everything was so blurred and smooth that she couldn’t find herself pondering on questions too long. The longer she spent in this slow and feathery world, the better she felt.  But she didn’t know why.  Nothing felt real, yet everything was exactly how it would be in Sapphire’s idea of a perfect place.

She continued walking along this path, admiring flower after flower.  She felt completely rejuvenated although she could not remember what had made her feel like she needed to relax in the first place. 

Suddenly, a beautifully ornate door appeared in front of her.  It was a vintage white painted slab of wood, the edges carved into intricate (although slightly gaudy) designs, being lined with a thin stroke of gold. 

Compared to the airbrushed world around her, this door seemed incredibly high definition.  She just HAD to open that door.  Her body felt like feathers.  She seemed to float towards it effortlessly.

As Sapphire began to open the door, the world filled with a blinding light.  All the flowers and the ocean and the walkway transformed from reality into thought as it dawned on her that she was reforming.  Her dream world was being sucked away, and the flood of reality was overwhelming.

The war. That humongous turquoise.  The cave.  Those gems I killed.  The Ruby.  The vision… Oh yeah she was about to punch me in the face!

Sapphire’s mind flinched to avoid the contact, but no contact was made.  _Oh… right…_ All of that had already happened days ago.  Maybe even years ago! She felt so disoriented; there was no concept of time when she was retreated into her gemstone. 

How long had she been out? What happened to that Ruby? Why was she still alive?!

All of these thoughts crossed her mind in the 10 seconds or so it took her body to retake its natural form, adorned in the same dress she had imagined from within her gemstone. 

The instant the light calmed down, strong hands held Sapphire in place, not allowing even a centimeter’s wiggle room.  The stark contrast between reality and whatever mind place she had been previous was almost comical. 

The sound of weapons being drawn flooded her ears.  Sapphire willed herself to open her eye, and found that every weapon was drawn in a defensive position.  She was in a large cavern with almost no light, save for a slight glow from a fire about 5 meters behind her.  The tip of a blue curved spear was drawn at full arms length to her chin, hardly touching, but pressed almost hard enough to break the skin.  At the end of this spear was one of the most terrifying pearl’s she had ever seen, adorned with a polished rosy helmet bearing the traitor’s insignia, and a glare that made Sapphire feel like she was of less worth than a clump of mud.  Beside her stood six other gems, three on each side and a respectful distance away.

Towards the back of the room, she met a split second eye contact with the Ruby.  Her face was impossible to read. 

Looking back to the pearl and slightly to the right towered a frightening mane of hair.  Rose Quartz.  She didn’t need future vision to know this was coming.  Sapphire had seen pictures of this face for millennia back on homeworld before the betrayal, but nothing could have prepared Sapphire for standing face to face with the colossal diamond.  The giant stood with her arms folded in an almost thoughtful manner.  Her entire body was clad in finely crafted armor, the likes of which only a Bismuth would be able to create.  Her massive sword was sheathed at her side, her shield resting on her other arm.  Her eyes were covered in shadow from the explosion of pink hair, and her face seemed to be carved in stone.  Although Sapphire could not see the diamond’s stare, she felt it deep into her core.  The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife.  Sapphire felt like shrinking.  She so desperately wanted to apologize for ever opposing one of such great power, or to collapse on the ground and beg for forgiveness, ANYTHING to stop this stare.

By the stars, and Sapphire thought Blue Diamond could be scary!

Sweet relief to the silence, as a voice rang through the room.  It was a slightly nasally voice, yet strong and pleasant to listen to. Of everyone of power in the room, it was the pearl to address her.

“You stand before Rose Quartz, former Diamond of Homeworld and founder of the Crystal Gems.  State your name and facet number.”


End file.
